Already infrequent, PSU defense clamping down in red zone

Late Saturday night in Iowa City, Garrett Taylor wasn’t overthinking the defensive red zone success that again helped keep the Nittany Lions a perfect 6-0 on the season.

The Nittany Lions’ defense, ranked the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense heading into Saturday night’s showdown with Michigan, and fresh off yet another strong showing, this time a 17-12 win at Iowa, hasn’t been perfect this season. But when the occasion calls for it, Taylor said, they’re clamping down.

“It's really just about bowing up,” Taylor said. “We get down in the red zone and on the goal line and we take that mentality that no matter what, they're not going to get into the end zone. Guys elevate their game and do extra, do whatever it takes to keep them out of the end zone. I think we've all embraced that and are doing a good job of it.”

Based simply on the NCAA’s presentation for red zone defensive statistics, one might come away with the opposite impression.

Allowing opponents to score points on 81.8 percent of their trips into the red zone through the first six games of the season, the Nittany Lion defense is currently ranked No. 63 of 130 programs in the category. A closer look reveals the second and third components to the statistic that count the most, though.

In total, Penn State has allowed just 11 red zone attempts by opponents this season, a number that ranks tied-fifth behind only Iowa (8) and 10 each for Wisconsin, Georgia, and Indiana.

Of those 11 red zone opportunities for opponents, Penn State has allowed just one rushing touchdown, which itself is good for second nationally behind only Georgia, who has yet to surrender a rushing TD to opponents in the red zone. Even through the air, which has seen the Nittany Lions give up three passing touchdowns this season, the combined four touchdowns trail only Georgia and Oregon.

And only for five converted field goals, Penn State’s nine total red-zone scores allowed prevents the Nittany Lion defense from climbing higher than its spot at tied-ninth for total scores allowed.

Meeting with reporters via teleconference Thursday, Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry indicated ambivalence about how he has personally graded out the red zone effort to this point in the season.

“I think we've made some big plays. When I think about us right now, we've bent a little bit but we've kind of bowed up down there and forced field goals. That was an area of concern two years ago and we certainly improved on it last year and I think we've got a pretty solid plan down there,” Pry said, referring to Penn State’s improvement from No. 106 in red-zone defense nationally three seasons ago allowing 43 scores on 48 opportunities. “We've been able to make some minus yardage plays that have gotten people behind the sticks and forced field goals. I'd just prefer them to not get down there as much.”

Certainly, the Nittany Lions will be aiming to prevent as much from happening Saturday night when No. 16 Michigan visits Beaver Stadium for the program’s annual White Out game.

And, to date, the Wolverines have so far been a friendly offense for their opponents to defend in the red zone. So far securing 29 trips into the red zone, the 5-1 Wolverines have converted with points just 21 times (72.4 percent, No. 111 nationally). And within that breakdown, the Wolverines have reached the end zone 13 times on the ground, four times through the air, and have been forced to settle for made field goals four times.

Following an effort that saw the Nittany Lions limit Iowa to two field goals on its two red zone attempts, pushing the Hawkeyes backward nine yards on their first red-zone appearance and keeping them at bay on a first-and-goal opportunity from the 4-yard line, defensive tackle Rob Windsor is counting on keeping the performance going.

“We just put our foot down.,” Windsor said. “We know. We always tell ourselves, it's on us, it's on us. And when we're in the red zone, we double down.”